Concrete press



July 20, 1965 Filed May 15, 1963 J. C. JUREIT CONCRETE -PRESS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

JOHN C. JUREIT K/ c Mk ATTORNEYS July 20, 1965 J. c. JUREIT 3,195,449

CONCRETE PRESS Filed May 15, 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 4 JOHN c JUREIT 5 ,1 TTOR Y J. C. JUREIT CONCRETE PRESS July 20, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 15, 1963 INVENTOR.

JOHN c4 IJUREIT {KIM Mm 4A A TTORNEYS' J. C. JUREIT CONCRETE PRESS July 20, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 15, 1963 oar- ATTORNEYS Jul 20, 1965 c, JUREIT 3,195,449

CONCRETE PRESS Filed May 15, 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG. l2

FIG."

FIG. l3

\ INVENTOR J JOHN c. JUREIT (MM 43M ATTORNEYA' United States Patent 3,195,449 CONCRETE PRESS John C. Jureit, Miami, Fla, assignor to Automated Buildiug Components, Inc., Miami, Fla, a corporation of Florida Filed May 15, 1963, Ser. No. 280,616 19 Claims. (Cl. 100-257) This invention relates to concrete presses and more particularly to a method and apparatus for manufacturing concrete presses.

Punch presses for performing a wide variety of operations are well-known. However, insofar as applicant is aware, the present invention is the first to provide a simalso particularly suited for use in the prefabrica-tion of wooden panels or trusses.

In the formation of wooden structures, it has been found that one of the simplest of procedures is to lay out the timber to be used in the desired pattern, place fasteners or connectors such as that disclosed in applicants U.S. Patent No. 2,877,520 at the junction of the timber members and then drive the fasteners into the timber members by means of a press to for-m rigid and solid joints. In this method, the timbers are laid out in the desired patterns and the entire timber pattern and adjacent connectors are placed in a jig which is inserted between the head and base of a large press. The head of the press moves downwardly into engagement with the assembly and drives the connectors into the timber to form the desired structure.

As is well known, the cost of transporting prefabricated and preassembled units over large distances is substantial. Because of the cost of transportation, a fairly large number of local fabricators presently supply the prefabricated building units to localized users. The raw lumber is processed and fabricated at a plant or shop reasonably near the locale of the ultimate user so as to avoid long distance hauling of the rather large prefabricated units. If time consuming and expensive hand labor is to be avoided, these local fabricators must be provided with suitable press equipment for rapidly and economically assembling the trusses, panels and the like.

An important feature of the present invention is the provision of a concrete press wherein all the mechanical part-s of the press can be completely fabricated at a single central plant in the form of a relatively light framework and associated drive equipment and transported in that form to the local fabricators who may then assemble and form the complete press with a minimum of time and effort. The press is formed of a lightweight metal framework which may, if desired, be completely pro-assembled and transported to the fabricator who then need only fill the framework and surrounding metal skin with concrete to have a finished press. This results in a tremendous savings in transportation costs and further enables the more intricate mechanical work and assembly to be done at the main plant, freeing the local fabricators from the technical concern for properly assembling the parts.

A further important feature of the present invention is the provision of the novel method for forming presses which completely eliminates the necessity of planing the press surfaces in order to obtain perfectly flat surfaces as in the more conventional punch presses.

It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a novel concrete press.

3,195,449 Patented July 20, 1965 Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel framework for concrete presses.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight frame for heavy presses.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight frame assembly for simplifying the on-site construction of heavy presses.

Another object is .to provide a novel method of forming presses which eliminates the necessity of planing the press surfaces to obtain uniformly fiat pressure faces.

These and further objects and advantages of the invention will be more apparent upon reference to the specification, claims and appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a novel press constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partial vertical section taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation with parts broken away showing the metal framework for the base of the press shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the metal framework of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an elevation with parts broken away showing the metal framework for the head of the press of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a partial plan view of the metal framework of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 illustrates one step in forming the concrete press of the present invention.

FIGURE 8 illustrates a further step in forming the novel concrete press of the present invention.

FIGURE 9 is .a diagrammatic view of a hydraulicallydriven concrete press constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 10 is a detailed perspective view of one end of the hydraulic press of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 11 is an end view of the hydraulic press structure of FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 12 is a partial side view of the press; and

FIGURE 13 is a partial cross section taken along line 1313 of FIGURE 11.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIG- URES 1 and 2, there is shown a mechanically driven punch type press constructed in accordance with the present invention generally indicated at 10, comprising a stationary base 12 and movable head 14. As best seen in FIGURE 2, the base 12 is formed of concrete 16, surrounded on the bottom and sides by a relatively thin .rnetall ic skin 18. Once the concrete 16 has hardened and cured, the top of .the base is covered by a thin metal sheet 20 welded or otherwise suitably secured to the sides of skin 18. Imbedded in the concrete center of the base are lower longitudinal reinforcing rods 22 and similar upper rods 24. A plurality of corresponding lower transverse reinforcing rods 26 and upper rods 28 are similarly imbedded in the concrete 16 of the base.

The head likewise compnise-s a central filler 30 of concrete in which are imbedded a plurality of longitudinal reinforcing rods 32 and corresponding transverse reinforcing rods 34. Concrete filler 30 is surrounded on the bottom and sides by a metallic skin 36 similar to the skin 18 of the base.

Four guide posts 48, 50, 52 and 54 extend upwardly from the four corners of the base 12 and the head 14 is slidably received over these four posts to move upwardly and downwardly over the stationary base 12. A transverse plate 56 across the top of the head supports an electric motor 58 which in turn drives a pair of silent chain-type belts 60 and 62 to rotate a corresponding pair of pulleys 64 and 66 which act to adjust the shut height of the press.

The press is driven by a suitable motor 68 which by the .strokeafter making one pressing cycle. ation of the flywheel drive in conjunction with the clutch I way of example only may e .a three horsepower elsetric motor.

through a clutch and brake assembly indicated at 78*to V coaxial inner shaft 74 journalled in bearing 76. Mounted on the shaft 74 is asmall pulley 80 over which passes a silent ,chain belt 82 which is in 'turn connected to a larger pulley 84 rotatable on stub shaft 85. A further decrease in rotational speed is obtained by means of an Wheel 88 is keyed to anelongated central shaft 90' passing longitudinally through the middle of' the base 100.are keyed to the opposite ends of shaft, 90 androtate in their respective housings 102 and 104. Threadably the top and'bottom edges as well as the end edges with the bottom and four sides covered by the metal skin.

18. FIGURE 3 illustrates the top metal sheet 20 in place.

. In addition to the longitudinal upper and lower reinforcing bars and the upper .andlower transverse reinforcing bars previously described, the base framework includes a pair of criss-crossingangle irons along each side of I the base, two of which are illustrated at 146 and 148 additional belt 86 received around a smaller Wheel me- 1 chanically linked with the wheel 84 byrotatable sleeve 87, which belt passes around a further larger wheel 88.

received in the top of housings 102 and. 104 are drive rod's 106 and '108, theother ends of which are thread-1 ably received in pivot blocks 110 and 112. Slidably received in a pair of rectangularchannels at each end of the head 14 are rectangular'guide blocks 114 and 116. Formed integral with the guide blocks are stub shafts 118 and 120 pivotally receivedfthrough the pivot blocks 110 and 112; Pulleys 64 and 66 are rigidly f I connected to rotors 122 and 124 by means of screws126.

Each of the rotors is provided with a'shank 128 and 130 I rotatably ,journalled in brackets 132 and 134 secured In operation, the flywheel 72 continuously driven by the electric motor 68. Suitable actuation of the clutchbrake mechanism '78 causes the clutch to engage, so as sleeves are supported from fourplates secured to the to drive shaft 74 andthrough the pulley end belt system, the elongated central shaftr90. This causes the eccentric camsto move fromcthe uppermost or restposition illustrated in FIGURE 2 was to draw the drive rods 106 and 108 downwardly'to pull the head 14 of the press towards the base 12. Downward movement of the rectangular guide blocks 114'and 116 with respect I to the head 14 is resisted by the brackets 132' and 134 so that the entire head moves downwardly with the drive rods 106 and 108. Upon completion of a revolution of the eccentric cams 9t) and 100, the head is are turned upwardly to the rest position illustrated in.FIG-,

URE 2, the clutch disengaged and the shaft 74 braked to a halt. The clutch and brake mechanism automatically gives one revolution and disengages itself at the top of The open.

hencethe entire head upwardly or .downwardlyalong screws 140 and 142 as :desired with'respect to the now stationary guide blocks 1,14 and ,116." In this-wayitis possible to adjust the rest position distance between the head and'base and henceadjust the minimum clearance or shut height ofthe press by means of the electric motor 58.

FIGURES 3 and"4 are side elevatiohand plan views respectively with partsbroken away showing, the light the eccentric cams and central shaft'bearings.

' base.

in FIGURE 3. In addition, a pair of diagonal rods 150 and 152 are provided which extend from one lower corner of the framework to adjacent the diagonally opposite upper corner. .These two diagonal reinforcing rods cross housings 154 and 156 at each end of the base for housing A pair of channels 158 and169 are secured to the underside of the housings-[154 and 156 and'these channels support the corner 'posts 58, 50, 52and 54. 1 v I FIGURES 5 and 6v are a similar side elevation and partial plan views respectively with parts broken away showing the light metal framework for thehead 14 of FIGURE 1.. Again the structure is formed from edge and cor'nerangle irons covered on the bottom and four sides by a metal skin 36.; Longitudinal reinforcing rods 32 and transverse reinforcing rods 34 serve to act as reinforcing for the concreteaud also strengthen the framework. The framework is provided with four sleeves,

two ofwhich are indicated at 162 and 164 inFIGURE 5 for'receiving the respectivecorner posts of. the base. A third sleeve 166 can be seen in FIGURE 6 and the four upper four corners of the head framework, two of the plates being'illustrated at 168 and 170 in FIGURE 6. Each end of the head is provided with a'large slot such as 172 including a pair'of elongated angle members 174 and 176 for guiding and retaining the guide blocks such as guide block 114 of FIGURE 2 V 7 Referring to FIGURES 7 and 8, these two figures show the successive steps for pouring the concrete 16 of the base and the concrete 30 of the head. 'InFIGURE 7 'the'hollow framework 'of thebase 12 is filled with concrete 16 which surrounds and encases the imbedded reinforcing' members previously described. After the concrete has hardened metal plate 20 is slipped over the guide posts 48, 50, 52 and 54 and secured to the top angle irons of the base by any suitable means such as welding. Referring to FIGURE 8, the head 14 is then slipped over the guide posts 48, 50, 52 and 54 and lowered into position to rest against the top plate 20 of the The head 14 is then filledwith concrete 30 and this concrete is hardened and cured. The head and base of the press are then complete'and the actuating equipmerit- 's then attached. V V

An important feature, of themethod illustrated in FIG- URES 7 and 8 is the fact that the concrete of the head being separated from the base only by the'thin metal skin ofthe' head iseifectively cast against the top of the'base so as to automatically result in parallelism between the ad oining surfaces ofthe head and base. This parallelism is not to be confused with flatness and'thebase may have ,slight curvature and some waves to it, but any such waviness is cast into thehead as well and automaticallyv gives parallelism. V This parallelism is all that is required to be table to place and properly form a connector jointat two or moreiplacesinthe press covering different areas at the 'same time. t

The importance. of the above parallelism can be appreciatedwhen it is understood that it is usually necessary ,in making steelribbedplate for conventional steel presses torplanethese after welding to getparallelism; Of course, 1n theplaning process, flatness, aswell as parallelism is obtained, but as pointed out above, it is not necessary in weight framing structure for the base 12' of FIGURE 1.

.the concrete press to obtain vflatness'since in driving connector plates into lumber to form a truss. or the like the jig can distort slightly to accommodate for the lack of flatness as the jig moves through the press and the lumber of the truss will stand a slight deformation to accommodate this slight lack of flatness. The elimination of planing for parallelism constitutes a substantial economy in the manufacture of the presses of. the present invention.

FIGURE 9 shows in schematic form a modified embodiment of the novel concrete press of the presentinvention wherein the press is hydraulically actuated. In FIGURE 9 the press indicated generally by dashed lines at 180 comprises a head 182 and a base 184. The head and base both comprise a light metal framework filled with concrete and assembled in the manner of the mechanically actuated press previously described. The head 182 is movable with respect to the base 184 by means of a pair of hydraulic pistons 186 and 188 slidably received in the movable piston chambers 190 and 192 formed in opposite ends of the head 182. A pair of hydraulic lines 194 and 196 alternately supply pressurized fluid to opposite sides of the pistons 186 and 188.

Hydraulic fluid from a suitable source is pressurized by a pump 198 driven from electric motor 200 by way of a variable speed gear box 202. Fluid from the pump outlet passes to a four-way, three-position control valve 284 by way of hydraulic line 206. The pump output is also connected to a high pressure relief valve 208 having a relief outlet 210 connecting either to a suitable sump or to the input side of the pump 198.

Control valve 204 is a solenoid valve having two actuating coils 212 and 214 and is made up of three sections 216, 218, and 220. The valve is biased to its center or neutral position as shown by a pair of springs 222 and 224. Section 220 is the forward or press section, section 216 is the reverse or return section and the center 218 is a neutral position where the input line 206 is connected directly to the sump or return outlet 226.

The output side of the control valve 204 connects to extensions of the hydraulic lines 196 and 198. Line 196 is also coupled to a low pressure relief valve 228 having a sump or return outlet 230 while line 196 is connected through a manual valve 232 to a pressure indicator 234.

When one of the windings 212 or 214 is energized the solenoid valve 204 moves to the left, compressing spring 224 and bringing the forward section 220 between the inlet and outlet so that high pressure fluid is supplied through line 196 to the underside of the pistons 186 and188 driving the head downwardly towards the base 184 to produce a pressing operation. Conversely, when the other winding is energized the solenoid valve 204 moves to the right compressing spring 222 and bringing the reversing section into communication with the valve inlet and outlet so that high pressure is now supplied through line 194 to the areas of chambers or cylinders 190 and 192 above the piston causing the head to rise and return to its uppermost rest position.

In order to keep the press head 182 parallel to the base 184 at all times, a mechanical linkage between the base and head is provided and includes parallel tension rods 236 and 238 extending along one side of the base and similar parallel tension rods 240 and 242 extending along the opposite sides of the base. These tension rods are pivoted to the opposite ends of four vertical levers at the four corners of the base, three of which are indicated at 244, 246, and 248. These levers form part of a bell crank lever arrangement including a pair of transverse shafts extending through opposite ends of the base, one of which is indicated at 250. These shafts are rotatably journalled in the base and pivoted to four drive rods, three of which are indicated at 252, 254 and 256. These drive rods are pivoted at their other ends to the head 182 and the entire mechanical linkage acts to keep the press head 182 parallel to the base 184 at all times.

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of one end of the hydraulically driven press of FIGURE 9 and shows the details of the mechanical linkage. FIGURES 11-13 are end, side and cross sectional views of the press structure shown in FIGURE 10. It is understood that the opposite end of the press is of similar construction to that illustrated in FIGURES 10-13. The head 182 and the base 184 is of a light metal framework construction filled with reinforcing and concrete in the manner previously described. In the press of FIGURE 10 the side skins, rather than being flat, are formed with rectangular corrugations illustrated at 258 and 260. The base is slightly undercut on each side to provide clearance for the tension rods and end plates 262 and 264 are secured to the ends of the head and base respectively. Hydraulic cylinder 266 is mounted on the head end plate 262 by means of blocks 268 and 270 and slidably receives the piston carried by piston rod 272. The other end of the piston rod is pivoted to the base end plate 264 by means of a mounting bracket 274. A pair of guide posts 276 and 278 are slidably received in guide blocks such as 275 secured to the end plate 262. These posts are rigidly secured to the base end plate 264.

The upper ends of drive rods 252 and 254, forming a part of the mechanical linkage are secured to the head end plate 262 by U-shaped brackets 230 and 282, a portion of the latter being broken away in FIGURE 10 to illustrate the pivotal connection. Rotatable horizontal shaft 250 is journalled in bearings 284 and 286 secured to the base end plate 264. Levers 244 and 246 take the form of three spaced fiat plates 288, 289 and 290, all keyed to the shaft 250 and rotatable therewith. Plates 289 and 290 are pivotally connected to the lower ends of the drive rods 252 and 254 and plates 288 and 289 aresimilarly connected to the tension rods.

In operation, when the head 182 is driven downwardly by the hydraulic fluid in cylinder 266 the drive rods 254 are placed in compression and cause the shaft 250 to rotate. The corresponding shaft 251 at the opposite end of the base rotates in the same direction and the tension rods in conjunction with the levers being pivotally connected at four corners act as a parallelogram linkage to maintain parallelism between the base and head. Any tendency for the head to be thrown out of parallelism during the press operation throws either the upper or lower tension bar, such as bar 236 or 238 into tension acting in a direction to restore parallelism. Because of the fact that one of the bars always acts in tension to resist tilting, these elongated bars need not be unusually heavy, but only sufiicient to resist substantial tension forces along the length of the press. Of course, when one of the bars is placed in tension due to the parallelogram nature of the construction, the other bar is placed in compression, but the bars have sulficient length and flexibility so that the bar under compression is free to bow slightly without in any way adversely affecting the restoring action of the bar under tension.

Upward movement of the head during the return portion of the cycle causes both shafts 250 and 251 to rotate in the opposite direction simultaneously and likewise during this portion of the press cycle operation, the mechanical linkage acts to maintain balance through the tension bars extending along the sides of the base and the drive rods such as rods 252, 254 and 256. During the return stroke these latter rods are under tension and since these rods must withstand not only tension but compression, they are substantially thicker and stronger than the tension bars along the sides of the base.

It is apparent from the above that the present invention provides a novel concrete press of relatively simple inexpensive construction and one that may be fabricated at a main plant and completed by simple attachment of a package type drive apparatus and the pouring of concrete near the site of the ultimate user. In this way, the component parts may be shipped independent of the concrete which makes up the bulk of the material and weight of the press. In one form, the drive mechanism for the headis poured with the head resting on the base so that" the adjacent surfaces of the" press in each embodiment need not be planed for parallelism. By this method of assembly and construction parallelism is automatically obtained. Concrete pressesex erting forces of as much as form of a mechanical drive forty tons or more can be constructed according to this in- I vention.

The invention maybe embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential character .istics thereof. The present embodimentsare'therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of'the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intendedto be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired .to be secured by'United States Letters Patent is:

, 1. A press for use in fabricating Wooden structures comprising a head and base each formed of relatively light framework filled with concrete, and means for moving said head relative to said base. i i 2. A press for use in driving connectors into wooden with said base for pressing an article therebetween, said base andhead each being formed of relatively light metal framework filled with concrete, and means for moving said base toward and away from said base. I

3. A press according to claim 2 wherein said moving means comprises a mechanical punch press drive;

4. A press according'to claim 2 wherein said means comprises a hydraulic punch press drive.

5. A press for use in fabricating wooden structures comprising a base, a head operatively connected with said base for pressing an article therebetween, said base and head each being formed of a light metal framework surrounded on the bottom and sides by a metal skin and filled with concrete, and punch press drive means coupled to said head for reciprocating said head toward and away from said base. i e

6. A press according to claims including a thin metal plate covering the top of said base.

7. A press for driving metal connectors into wooden structures comprising a reinforced concrete base and head each surrounded by a relatively thin metal skin, said head being operatively connected with said base for pressing an article therebetween and punch press drive means coupled to said head for reciprocating said head towardand away from said base. d H v 8. A press according to claim-7 including motor means for adjusting the shut height of said press.

9. A press for use V trusses comprising a hollow metal base filled with concrete,

a plurality of guide posts prmecting upwardly from said base, a hollow metal head filled with concrete and slidably received over said posts, and drive means coupled to said head for reciprocating said head toward and away from said base. i y

10. A press according to claim 9 wherein saiddrive means includes an elongated rotary shaft passing longitudinally through said base and mechanically coupled to opposite ends of said press.

11. A press according to claim 9 including a mechanical linkage coupled to said base and head for maintaining said head parallel to said base.

12. A press for use in fabricating wooden panels comprising a base including a reinforced metal framework surrounded on the bottom and sides. bya metal skin and filled with'concrete, a metalplate covering the top of said base, a head including a reinforced metal framework surmoving in fabricating wooden panels or" rounded on the bottom and sides by almetal skin, guide posts extending upwardly from the four corners of said base, sleeves in said head slidably received over said guide posts, a rotatable shaft passing longitudinally through said base, drive'means coupled to said shaft,'eccentric cam means carried by the opposite ends of said shaft, and drive rods pivotally connecting said cam means to said head whereby rotation of said shaft acts to reciprocate said head towards and away from said base. 1 13. A press according to claim 1-2 wherein saiddrive rods are pivotally connected 'to guide blocks slidably mounted in said head, screw meansv connected to said guide blocks, a pair of brackets rigidly mounted on 0pposite endsof said head, pulley'means rotatably'rnounted in said brackets andjthreadably receiving the upper ends of said screw means, an electric motor mounted on said head, and belt means coupling said electric motor to said pulley means whereby rotation of said pulley means about said screw means a-cts to raise and lower said head with respect to'said base." w

14. A press for use in fabricating wooden panels comprising a base including a reinforced metal framework surrounded on the bottom and'sides bya metal skin and filled with concrete; a metal plate covering the top of said base, a head including a reinforced metal framework surrounded on the bottom and sides by a. metal skin, guide posts extending upwardly from the four corners of i I said base, means on said head slidably "received over structures comprising a base, a head operatively'connected. I

said guide'posts, a hydraulic chamber mounted on each end of said head, hydraulicpistons coupled to said base and slidably received in said chambers, and means for ,alternately supplyingpressure fluid to opposite vsides of I said'pistons to reciprocatesaid headtoward and away' fromsaid base;

15. A press according to claim 14 including end plates.

.. mounted on said head and base, said hydraulic chambers being secured to said head end plates, a mechanical linkage for maintaining said head parallel to said base com- A prising rotary shafts mounted on said base end plates,

dri-ve rods coupling the opposite ends of said rotary shafts to said head, and a parallelogram mechanical coupling extending along the sides of said base'and joining the respective endsof said rotaryshafts' 16. A press'according to claim 15 wherein said parallelogram coupling'comprises a pair of elongated tension bars on eachside of said base, said tension bars being pivotally coupled to' the opposite ends of leverscarried by said rotary shafts. V

17. A method of formingthe head of a press including a base and head comprising providing a hollow head structure and filling said head structure with concrete while said head rests against said base.

18. Amethod of forming'a press comprising providing a hollow base structure, filling said base structure with concrete, providing'a "hollow head structure, filling said head structure with concrete, and causing the co'ncrete filling said head structure to be cured with said head structure resting against said base structure.

19. A method of forming a press comprising pouring concrete into the open top of a hollow base, covering the top of said base with a thin'metal plate, resting a hollow head on top of said plate, filling said head with concrete,

and causing said concrete in said 'head to cure and harden I 65 withthebottom of said head resting ,on said. plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS .Pri-us 258 2,243,205 5/41 'Hall 100-458 2,356,790 8/44 Home 100-267 -2,608,253 8/52; Battles er al 100-'-257' 3,079,607 3/62 Jureit" 1 149 GRANVILLE CUSTER, 111.; Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,195,449 July 20, 1965 John C. Jureit It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below Column 4, line 70, for "plate" read platen Signed and sealed this 26th day of April 1966.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents 

12. A PRESS FOR USE IN FABRICATING WOODEN PANELS COMPRISING A BASE INCLUDING A REINFORCED METAL FRAMEWORK SURROUNDED ON THE BOTTOM AND SIDES BY A METAL SKIN AND FILLED WITH CONCRETE, A METAL PLATE COVERING THE TOP OF SAID BASE, A HEAD INCLUDING A REINFORCED METAL FRAMEWORK SURROUNDED ON THE BOTTOM AND SIDES BY A METAL SKIN, GUIDE POSTS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE FOUR CORNERS OF SAID BASE, SLEEVES IN SAID HEAD SLIDABLY RECEIVED OVER SAID GUIDE POSTS, A ROTATABLE SHAFT PASSING LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH SAID BASE, DRIVE MEANS COUPLED TO SAID SHAFT, ECCENTRIC CAM MEANS CARRIED BY THE OPPOSITE SAID CAM MEANS TO SAID HEAD RODS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID CAM MEANS TO SAID HEAD WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT ACTS TO RECIPROCATE SAID HEAD TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM SAID BASE. 